Pulverized coal explosions in the U. S. utility industry
During 1981 the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) began a research project to study pulverized coal fires and explosions in the U.S. utility industry via an industry wide survey and explosion experiments. The survey indicates that explosion events are occurring at a rate of approximately one every three years for each boiler. The trends show that although coal type has a positive correlation to explosion frequency, it is not the only significant factor in setting explosion hazard levels. Laboratory experiments were performed in full scale test rigs that allowed triggering and monitoring coal system explosions on demand. Ignition events remaining within the coal pipe created only weak pressure rise, while ignition events within a simulated pulverizer volume created explosions exceeding 70 bar (1015 psig). These experiments showed that explosion characteristics depend on dust concentration, ratio of pulverizer volume to coal pipe area, as well as coal type.
- OSTI ID:
- 5698174
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-861211-
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
014000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Combustion
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200108 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Fuels-- (1980-)
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
BOILER FUELS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL FINES
COAL RANK
COMBUSTION
DUSTS
ELECTRIC UTILITIES
EPRI
EXPLOSIONS
FUELS
HAZARDS
IGNITION
MEDIUM PRESSURE
MONITORING
OXIDATION
PIPES
PRESSURE DEPENDENCE
PUBLIC UTILITIES
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION
TEST FACILITIES
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
VOLUME